Structural building panels have long been used to facilitate modular construction of buildings. The use of structural building panels facilitates the rapid construction of buildings because these prefabricated panels reduce onsite construction time. In order to increase thermal efficiency of structures constructed from structural building panels, while yielding thermally-sound building systems, insulation may be incorporated with the building panels. The incorporation of insulation provides a structured insulated panel, or “SIP.” Structural insulated building panels are often used in construction; however, such currently existing SIPs suffer from various deficiencies.
For example, standard structural insulated building panels (SIPs) are of a stressed-skin panel design. The structural members (i.e., the skins) form a shell that encapsulates and is often glued to the insulation. Most of the stress on the panels is borne by this structural shell. This is not the most efficient means of bearing stress because it results in material redundancy and waste, increased labor and shipping expenses, and an overall low strength-to-weight ratio. Many stressed-skin SIPs are fabricated using oriented strand board (“OSB”) as their outer skins. OSB is manufactured using materials including chemicals that damage the environment and the health of living organisms. Additionally, OSB stressed-skin panels have limited flexibility in their application due to their rigidity and two-dimensional flat sheet configuration. Using OSB as an outer SIP surfacing material presents difficulties with incorporating and integrating construction components, for example, conduit and wiring, plumbing, and framing members into and through the OSB surface. Further, many OSB stressed-skin panels offer limited aesthetic possibilities due to the non-flexible nature of OSB, its unappealing appearance, and because OSB should be covered or encapsulated and not left exposed as a finish material because gasses from the aforementioned chemicals may leach into the living environment.
Contrary to two-dimensional stressed-skin SIPs, three-dimensional SIPs may be created by combining a 3D engineered molded fiber (EMF) core that is insulated and has one or more stressed-skins, allowing for achievement of a variety of SIP configurations and resulting building shapes. However, in order to create three-dimensional EMF shapes of different thicknesses, generally a new mold would be required every time a different SIP shape change is desired, even for the most minor incremental modification. This makes economical application of current three-dimensional EMF technology somewhat limited to production of planar and simply curved forms. Mold-making, therefore, is the most expensive step in current three-dimensional EMF fabrication. EMF molds may be expensive to make, may be expendable, and may have to be replaced over time due to wear. Cut-Fold-Shape technology offers a structurally-enhanced, more efficient- and cost effective method for producing a virtually limitless variety of three-dimensional EMF shapes for SIP, furniture, and other fields-of-use.
The information included in this Background section of the specification, including any references cited herein and any description or discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes only and is not to be regarded subject matter by which the scope of the disclosure is to be bound.